Textile processing machine



y 1960 A. H. BAHNSON, JR 2,946,173

TEXTILE PROCESSING MACHINE Filed May 7; 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS July 26, 1960 A. H. BAHNSON, JR 2,945,173

TEXTILE. PROCESSING mums Filed May 7, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR g a fl. wemmgm BY W JWQ, 1w

ATTORNEYS July 26, 1960 A. H. BAHNSON, JR 2,

TEXTILE PROCESSING MACHINE I Filed May 7, 1956 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS to Wachovia Bank and Trust Company, Winston- Salem, NC, a corporation of North Carolina, trustee Filed May 7, 1956, Ser. No. 583,121 15 Claims. or. 57-56) This invention relates to textile processing mills and is particularly concerned with spinning rooms and the like where temperature and humidity conditions are important factors both from the standpoint of work comfort as well as processing of the textile material.

In a spinning room for example, the spinning frames are placed end-to-end to form rows and each frame is provided with a motor for rotating the cylinder which in turn rotates the belts by which rotation is imparted to the spindles. These motors are located at the ends of the frames and generate considerable heat which results in a considerable increase in temperature in the vicinity of the motors. Such concentration of heat is not only undesirable from the viewpoint of worker comfort but is also detrimental to proper spinning at the spindles located near the motor end of the frame. This condition is aggravated When the spinning frames are provided with vacuum collection equipment for removing broken thread ends by suction. The suction fan of such equipment is often located at the same end of the frame as the drive motors and the discharge from the suction fan which is quite warm, of course, adds to the heat given off by the drive motors.

v To avoid the concentration of heat at the drive motor end of the frame, or the motor alley as it is commonly called, it has been proposed to draw the air from the motor alley area into an exhaust duct system having an inlet located in the vicinity of the motors and to convey the same away to the exterior of the building or return the same to an air conditioner system, if one is utilized, for recirculation in the room.

7 The present invention proposes a different arrangement for dissipating the heat present in the motor alley areas and utilizing the same in a most advantageous manner to even out the temperature condition within the spinning room. Moreover, the use of such heat in accordance with the invention will serve to improve operating conditions in spinning rooms and especially those where the spinning frames are provided with vacuum collection equipment.

Spinning rooms are usually provided with'humidify'ing equipment in order to maintain the humidity of the air within certain limits to assure satisfactory spinning. This cooler, moist air is usually delivered to the room by a duct system having outlets located above the frames and usually in the vicinity of the ceiling and tends to fall toward the level of the rolls where the humidity characteristic of the air is the most critical. Under normal room conditions, the heat produced by moving parts of the spinning frame located beneath the roll level such as the spindles, tapes, cylinder, etc. generates a convection air current rising upwardly toward the rolls which acts to retard the downward moving cool moist air. Because of this counteracting convection current it has been found that one can maintain a slightly higher relative humidity in the room as a whole and generally in the area extending above the rolls of the frame without creating top roll lap-ups or other poor conditions for spin- "ice This higher humidity is especially desirable dur ing the summer when'worker comfort becomes a problem and the mill relies solely upon an evaporative typeroom from becoming possible to raise thegeneral humidi level in th'eroorri I still further than has heretofore'been possiblewithout interfering with the spinning, thus making it possible to provide an even more satisfactory evaporating cooling system for comfort of the workers. With a cooling sys tern of the evaporative type, the temperature will be dropped approximately 2 for each 5% increase in huff midity. If the humidity of the room can be raised 15%, the temperature in the room will be dropped about 6 which is frequently enough to avoid the necessity fof installing an expensive air conditioning system equipped with refrigeration in order to maintain reasonable comfort conditionswithin the room.

In spinning rooms where the frames are equipped with vacuum collection systems in which a suction is maintained adjacent the roll level for each strand being spun, the descent of the cool moist air in the upper portion of the roomtoward the frames is, ofcourse, accelerated by the negative pressure maintained at the suction inlets. In certain mills, this accelerated flow of cool moist air toward the frames results in too high a humidity level ning efficiency, and the mill operators have been forced to lower the relative humidity in the spinning room of from 5 to 10 percent. As indicated above, a 5% lower relative humidity is reflected by slightly over 2 less cooling. Consequently, some mills have found thatthey are losing as much as 5 cooling with theirevaporative type air conditoning system because of the installation of vacuum collection equipment.

According to .the present invention, it is: proposed to duct the heated air concentrated at the motor alley by the heat given off from the drive motors and also, if one be used, the discharge air from the vacuum collection system, which is, relatively dry. and clean aswell as hot, longitudinally of and within the spinning frame and to discharge the same from the duct all along the length of the frame for flow in an upward direction 'so as to augmentthe natural convection flow resulting from heat generated along theframe by movement of component "parts in the underframe portion.

ing systemof the 'evaporative type without running into the danger of roll lap-ups caused by too high a humidity at the roll level of the spinning frame. As indicated above, the invention is-v especially useful in installations where the frames are .provided with suction collection systems since the negative pressure maintained at the inlet nozzles; accelerates the downward flow of the cooler, moist air toward the rolls.

Since theprincipal concept of the invention is to dispe'rs e the heat, undesirably but yet unavoidably' concentrated at the motor alley area of the spinning room, by distributing it along the frame for upward flow, it is evident that the distributing duct which extends longitudinally of the frame may be located at any convenient level. Theduct may be located between the Samsons and the cylinder so asto discharge air outwardly towards the spindles, the air then rising in th'e'same general vertical plane that contains the rolls, or the duct may be locatedat about or just below-the ;rol1 ;level1an;d have outlets delivering the air toward the back portion of the na es drive motors o'f th'e by enclosing the "same'within a box, one wall of the boxfbeing provided with a screened inlet for." air so as to preventthe motor from overheating and a blower being provided for inducing air flow into thebox and outwardly from the latter into the distribution duct extending longitudinally of the frame." If the motors are enclosed by boxing-in, and the Spinning frame is provided with a. vacuum collection systom, the discharge from the suction fan of the latter can be ducted into the box enclosing the motor, thus providing additional warmed and relatively dry air which combines with the air warmed by the motors and passes out of the box to the duct extending along the spinning frame. In such an arrangement, it may be possible, under certain conditions, to eliminate the blower unit for drawing air into the duct leading to the spinning frame since the air exhaust from the suction fan of the vacuum collection system may be adequate to furnish all the velocity head that is needed to move the air. Also, in such an arrangement, the box enclosing the motor will not need to have a screened air intake opening because the air discharged from the suction fan of the vacuum collection system has been filtered to strip it of all lint collected by the suction nozzles located along the frame adjacent the rolls. I

The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages inherent in the inventive concept will become more apparent from the following detailed description of various practical embodiments thereof and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a view in elevation showing the end portions of adjacent spinning frames in a. row of frames and wherein the motors for driving the frames are positioned at generally the same location in what is known as a double motor alley, there being a suction fan unit of a vacuum collection system located above the motors and serving both frames, and there being a box enclosure around the motors into which isdischarged the exhaust air from the suction fan. In this embodiment, supplementary blower units are provided for inducing a more positive new of air into the enclosure for heating by the motors and distribution along the duct extending longitudinally of each frame.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through one of the spinning frames and taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the box enclosing the drive motors for the two frames and taken on line 3 s of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the end portion of a singlef frame to which the invention has been applied, and

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the end portion of a single frame as to which another embodiment of the invention has been applied.

' With reference now to the drawings and to Figs. 1 and 2 in particular, the floor of the spinning room is in dicated at 10 upon which stands a plurality of spinning frames F. According to one particular arrangement which is quite common, the frames F are arranged in rows in the room, there being a plurality of frames to each row and the frames of each row being arranged generally in end-to-end relation and with suflicient space between the ends of adjacent frames in a row to accommodate the drive motors for the spindles of two frames. The end portions only of adjacent frames in one row are shown in Fig. 1, and all structural details not essential to an understanding of the invention have been omitted.

"The spools 12 containing the roving to be processed are mounted vertically between creel boards 13, and the roving 14 from the same is drawn by and between rolls 15 for winding upon spindles 16. These rolls 1,5 constitute drafting elements disposed longitudinally of the machine for establishing a work zone for processing the textile material. The spindles are driven in pairs at each side of the frame by means of endless tapes 17 which are driven off a cylinder 18 that extends for the full length of the frame in the so-callcd underframe portion. Each of the cylinders 18 is drivenby an electric motor located in the motor alley? area between the ends of adjacent frames, the motor for spinning frame F being indicated at 19 and being connected to cylinder 18 by a belt drive 20, and the motor and belt drive for frame F being indicated by 19 and 20', respectively.

The motor alley area between the ends of frames F and F' is walled in by means of a rectangular housing 21 comprising four side panels 22 which extend upward from the floor and a top panel 23, the panels being preferably assembled in such manner that one or more can be removed for access to the drive motors. 4

The vacuum collection equipment for collecting loose particles and broken ends along the frame F comprises a central collection duct 25 which can be rectangular in cross section extending for the full length of the frame beneath the roll level. The end of duct '25 at the end of frame F remote from the end portion shown in the drawing is closed, and the opposite end of duct 25 is connected to an inlet 26 of a combined suction and filter unit 27 serving both frames and situated in the motor alley area and above the drive motors 19, 19'. The suction fan 28 of unit 27 functions to maintain a suction in collection duct 25 to draw in the fiber laden air, and the air after passing a filter '29 and fan 28 discharges downwardly through outlet 30 and through wall 23 into motor housing 21.

Connected to duct 25 by means of a plurality of tubings 31 spaced longitudinally of the frame are a plurality of cylindrical collection tubes or flutes 32 extending horizontally in practically end-to-end relation, each of the flutes 32 being provided with a plurality of horizontally extending slots 33, located respectively at each strand where it leaves the drawing rolls 15. Should any strand break after leaving the drawing rolls, the free end thereof will be sucked into the corresponding slot 33 and will continue to be so sucked in until noticed by a worker who then reties the strand to the spindle so as to continue the spinning of that particular strand. The broken strand ends pass through flutes 32 and tubes 31 and thence into and through the central collection duct 25 to the suction and filter unit 27. In addition to drawing in any strands that may break, the suction at the slots 33 all along the frame also functions to continuously draw in a considerable quantity of loose lint particles 'which are ever present in the vicinity of the frame.

The frame F is also provided with a similar arrangement of suction collection duct assembly and corresponding elements have been assigned the same reference numerals but with primes added thereto for purposes of distinction.

The suction and filter unit 27 is shown in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 502,979, filed April 21, 1955, now Patent No. 2,914,136 and hence requires no detailed description here for understanding. The fan 28 is of the axial intake, tangential exhaust type and the outlet 30 is accordingly tangentially arranged. The fan is driven by a motor 34 mounted atop the housing for the unit 27 and is connected to the fan 28 by means of a V belt drive 35.

Blower unit 36, of the axial intake, tangential discharge type, disposed within housing 21 serves the air distribution duct provided on frame F, and blower 36 of like type and also disposed within housing 19 serves the air' distribution duct provided on frame F. The impellers 37, 37' of the blowers 36, 36' are connected respectiv'ely via belt drives 38, 38 with pulleys 39, 39' on cylinders 18, 18' of the frames F, F, and the tangentially arranged discharge outlet ducts 40, 40' from the blowers 36, 36' connect respectively with one end of distribution ducts 41, 41' which extend longitudina-Hy and preferably centrally along the frames F, F at a level substantially corresponding to that of the rolls 15, The ducts 41, 41 are closed at the opposite ends and are provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced outlets 42, 42' extending laterally towards the rolls 15, 15' at the opposite sides of the frames. The warm, clean air, after leaving the outlets 4-2, 42 flows upward and hence helps to counteract the downward flow of cooler moist air'toward the frames from the upper reaches of the room. As previously indicated, another source of warm, rising air is that generated in the under portion of the frames by movement of component parts and this also helps to counteract the downward movement of cooler moist air. The result of the'arrangement is that one is enabled to increase the general humidity level in the room and thus increase the cooling effect possible with a cooling system of the evaporative type without increasing the humidity level at the rolls on the frames to the point where roll lap-ups are liable to occur.

In the event that heat in addition to that attributable to running of the device motors 19 and discharge from the suction and filter unit 27 is desired for distribution in the longitudinally extending duct 41, it is possible to include one or more heat generating units within housing 2-1 or within the duct leading from the latter to the distribution duct 41. In the drawing such a heat generating unit is shown schematically as an electrical resistance type heater 43 disposed within the housing 21 and adapted to be connected to any convenient source of electrical power.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention for use on single spinning frame installations wherein the drive motors on each frame are each individually enclosed and there is no vacuum collection suction and filter unit located at the motor end of the frame. With reference now to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the drive motor 19" is enclosed by a housing 21", one wall of which is provided with a screened panel 44 to permit inflow of air. A blower unit 36" of the axis intake, tangential discharge type is located within housing 21" and serves to draw in and filter air through the screen 4.4. The impeller 37" of the blower is driven by a belt drive 38" off pulley 39 on the cylinder 18" for the frame, and the outlet duct 40" from the blower is connected to the distribution duct 41" extending horizontally along the frame, the duct 41" being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced outlets 42" directing air laterally outward from the duct 41" towards the rolls 15".

Another embodiment of the invention, as applied to a single frame, is illustrated in Fig. 5. Here it will be seen that the heat from the drive motor is captured and distributed along the frame not by closing in the area in the vicinity of the motor by means of a housing but rather by causing air to pass through the casing of the motor itself, this air passing over the windings of the motor to pick up their heat and thence out of the motor casing for distribution along the spinning frame. In Fig. 5, the drive motor 47 for the frame is of the so- .called lint-free design. This type of motor, which is typical of most spinning frame drive motors, is usually provided wtih a cooling air intake at each end, cooling fans .driven by the motor shaft anda 360 exhaust at its midsection for discharging the air taken in at the motor ends; In accordance with the present invention, the end cooling air intake sections of the motor 47 are sealed closed by means of end hoods 48, 49 and a centrally located hood 50 seals off the normally central 360 air discharge outlet from the motor. The spinning frame is provided with a vacuum collection unit 51 of generally the same construction and operating on the same principle as the unit 27 described in connection with the Fig. 1 embodiment. Air entraining the broken ends, lint, etc., enters the collection unit 51 through duct 52, is filtered, and then dis charged downwardly through duct 53"which turns hori zontally near the floor and extends longitudinally of and Within the spinning frame. Y i

Flexible hoses 55, 56 are connected between the hoods 48, 49, respectively and the downwardly extending portion of the discharge duct 53. Another flexible hose 57 is connected between the central hood 50 and discharge duct 53 at a point below the connections of hoses 55 and 56. Since there is virtually no pressure difference in the discharge duct 53 between the connection thereto of hoses 55, 56 and hose 57, the air flow into the motor from duct 53 through hoses 55 and 56 is imported by the cooling fans (not shown) located within the motor housf ing, and the heated air is discharged through hose 57 back into duct 53. Duct 53. is provided with outlets 54 spaced therealong so that the air can discharge either out? wardly or upwardly. In'either case, the warmed air due to the heat pick-up at the drive motor 47, when dis charged throughout the length of the spinning frame through the spaced outlets 54, serves to counter-balance the downward how of cooler, moist air towards the frame.

Inconclusion, it is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described different possible arrangements for the invention, various other modifications and constructions may be utilized without, however, departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a. plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine, establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system having suction inlets located along saiddraftingelements and be. ing located in aroom wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of meansv for collecting the heat given off by said drive motor and means including a duct extending longitudinally of said machine and provided with outlet means therealong for distributing the collected heat to oppose the downward flow of cooler moist air towards. said machine thereby to enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

2. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system having suction inlets located along said drafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of means including an air stream for absorbing theheat given off by said motor and 'meansffor'distributing said-heated air 7 stream longitudinally of said machine to oppose the downward flow of cooler moist air towards said machine thereby to enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

3. The invention as defined in claim; 2 wherein said means for absorbing the heat given off by said motor in an air stream includes a housing enclosing said motor.

4. The invention as defined in claim: 2 wherein said means for absorbing heat given off by said motor in an air stream includes means for introducing a stream of air into the casing of said motor for heating by the motor windings and means for discharging the heated air into said distribution means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 2. and which further includes an auxiliary source of heat in the path of said air stream flowing to said distribution means.

6. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system having suction inlets located along said drafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of means for collecting the heat given off by said drive motor, a distribution duct extending from said heat collecting means longitudinally of said machine, said duct being provided with air outlet means along the length thereof, and means for causing air to flow past said heat collecting means thereby to entrain the heat so collected and thence into said distribution duct for discharge from said outlet means, said outlet means being so located that the heated air discharged therefrom serves to oppose the downward flow of cooler moist air towards said machine to thereby enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

7. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system having suction inlets located along said drafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of means providing a passageway for air into the casing of said motor so as to be heated, a discharge outlet for heated air from said motor casing, a distribution duct extending longitudinally of said machine and connected to said discharge outlet, and means arranged to draw air through said passageway into said motor casing and out of said discharge outlet into said distribution duct, said distribution duct being provided with outlet means therealong so located that the heated air discharging therefrom flows in opposition to the downward flow of cooler moist air towards'said machine to thereby enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level. along the work zone of said machine.

8.-The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating themoving parts of the machine,

8 I said machine also including a vacuum collection system having suction inlets located along saiddrafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers atsaid drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of a housing enclosing said drive motor, a distribution duct extending from said housing longitudinally of said machine, said duct being provided with air outlet means along the length thereof, and means for causing air to flow into and through said housing for heating by said drive motor and thence into said distribution duct for discharge from said outlet means, said outlet means being so located that the heated air discharging therefrom opposes the downward flow of cooler moist air towards said machine to thereby enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

9. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plu rality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system having suction inlets located along said drafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system ofthe evaporation type; of a housing enclosing said drive motor, a distribution duct extending from said housing longitudinally of said machine, said duct being provided with air outlet means along the length thereof, and a blower unit having its outlet connected to said distribution duct, the inlet to said blower being arranged to draw air through said housing for contact with and heating by said drive motor and said outlet means being so located that the heated air discharging therefrom opposes the downward flow of cooler moist air towards said machine to thereby enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permiss'ible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

10. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system including a suction unit having an air discharge outlet and an intake connected to suction inlets located along said drafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of means for directing the air from said discharge outlet into the vicinity of said drive motor for picking up the heat given off by the same, and means including a duct extending longitudinally of said machine and having outlets therealong for distributing the heated air longitudinally of said machine to oppose the downward flow of cooler moist air towards said machine to thereby enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

11. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for directing the air from the discharge outlet of said suction unit into the vicinity of said drive motor includes a housing surrounding said drive motor and which is connected to said discharge outlet.

12. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for directing the air from the discharge outlet of said suction unit into the vicinity of said drive motor includes a duct extending from the discharge outlet of said suction unit into the casing of said motor and a discharge outlet from said motor casing into said distribution duct.

13. The invention as defined in claim 10 and which further includes a blower unit arranged in the path of the air fiow for augmenting the flow of air into said distribution duct.

14. The invention as defined in claim 13 wherein said blower unit is driven by the drive motor of said machine.

15. The combination with a textile processing machine such as a spinning frame or the like which includes a plurality of drafting elements disposed longitudinally along the machine establishing a work zone for processing the textile material and an electric drive motor at one end thereof for actuating the moving parts of the machine, said machine also including a vacuum collection system including a suction unit having an intake connected to suction inlets located along said drafting elements and being located in a room wherein a desired humidity is maintained to assure satisfactory working of the textile fibers at said drafting elements and satisfactory cooling of the room by a system of the evaporation type; of means for ducting air discharged from said suction unit into a 25 distribution duct extending longitudinally of the machine, means for ducting a portion of the air discharged from said suction unit into a chamber such as a plenum or passageway surrounding the windings of said drive motor to absorb the heat given oif by said motor, and means for ducting the heated air from said chamber into said distribution duct, said distribution duct being provided with outlets therealong for distributing the heated air longitudinally of the machine to oppose the downward flow of cooler moist air towards the machine to thereby enable a higher overall level of humidity to be maintained in said room for evaporative cooling without exceeding the permissible humidity level along the work zone of said machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thoma Aug. 12, 1947 Parrish Feb. 23, 1954 Thoma May 24, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 15, 1932 France Nov. 1, 1950 

